Chattanooga Medical Respite Earns National Certification
Welcome Home of Chattanooga became the first certified medical respite organization of its kind in Tennessee.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Cancer
Welcome Home of Chattanooga, launched in 2015, earned certification from the National Institute for Medical Respite Care after meeting or exceeding eight nationwide standards. The certification was announced November 5, 2026.
Why it matters
The certification confirms that Welcome Home's medical respite model meets national benchmarks for caring for patients who need a place to recover outside a hospital. For Chattanooga residents facing cancer and other serious illness without stable housing, it signals a recognized local option.
Welcome Home met or exceeded eight nationwide standards set by the National Institute for Medical Respite Care, and has served nearly 200 patients since 2015. The source does not detail individual standard scores or the timeline of the review process.
The players
National Institute for Medical Respite Care
The Nashville-based national body that sets standards for medical respite care and certifies programs that meet them.
Welcome Home of Chattanooga
A medical respite provider in East Chattanooga that houses patients recovering from serious illness such as cancer who lack stable housing.
The details
Welcome Home of Chattanooga operates on 5 acres at 3131 Quiet Creek Trail in East Chattanooga, with a four-bedroom hospice home and two three-bedroom homes for cancer respite. The organization partners with area hospices, Chattanooga Cancer Support Services, and local oncology practices, and does not discharge patients back to homelessness until adequate housing is found.
Timeline
2015: Welcome Home of Chattanooga launches.
November 5, 2026: National Institute for Medical Respite Care announces certification.
Health Landscape
Medical respite programs fill a gap between hospital discharge and stable housing, and national certification from the National Institute for Medical Respite Care sets a common benchmark for them. Welcome Home's certification makes it the first Tennessee program to meet that benchmark.
For patients with cancer who lack stable housing, medical respite provides a place to recover with clinical support instead of returning to the streets. Welcome Home keeps patients until adequate housing is secured.
The takeaway
Stable housing can be as important as medical treatment for patients recovering from serious illness. Families and caregivers in Chattanooga can ask local hospices and oncology practices whether medical respite options are available.
Further reading
Learn more about cancer care and how patients in Chattanooga access support services.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Timesfreepress.
